Amboseli Ilmarba Group

PictureIlmarba Group Members at a WILK Business Diversification Training and Grass Conservation training
Ilmarba is a smaller group, with only 10 members.  The Ilmarba community is close to the Tanzanian border, where WILK rehabilitated the community borehole.  Ilmarba is the most senior group in LAB program,  acting as mentor to the newer groups, teaching and sharing their experiences and expertise in good husbandry and good livestock selection. They also introduced an innovation we call “Cows on Layaway”, which allows people to select a Ilmbarba group cow as soon as it arrives home from the market, and start paying for it in installments. This has given folks with less cash the chance to build up their herds (the main asset in the Maasailand).
PictureIlmarba Group Cows bought with WILK Livestock loan after group training

Paingoni Livestock Keepers

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Paingoni Group Cows purchases with WILK Livestock Loan after group trainings.
Paingoni Livestock Keepers – is a mixed group of 17 members from Olgulului and neighboring villages, full of experienced livestock keeper / traders ready to try new things that can be profitable

Meshenani Livestock Keepers

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Livestock keepers signing contracts for microloans
Meshenani is located on the northeast corner of Amboseli park, and is one of WILK’S original water project locales.  The group has 17 women and men and has shown incredible ability to make profit selling cows.  In 2013 they bought 20 cows and earned a 43% profit, totaling over $1700.  In 2014, they bought 25 cows and turned an impressive 54% profit.  With this money, the group has bought land to rent out as an income generating activity.  One trick to their success is that they save on selling expenses by selling animals to individuals at home rather than traveling to market.

Enkong’u Narok Livestock Keepers

Enkong’u Narok Livestock Keepers is a mixed group of 17 members who come from 4 cultural villages just outside Amboseli National Park. WILK’s work started in this area and they were one of the most affected areas in the drought of 2009-2010, out of which was born the “Livestock as a Business program”, as a way of providing livestock farmers the skills to avoid future large scale livestock losses in recurring droughts.